Part VIII

"Who is the most beautiful girl here today?"

Lance turned away from the mirror at the voice, grinning when he saw Rachel walking into his bedroom carrying six-month old Emma. His daughter squealed with delight and flailed her arms when she saw him.

"Hands down; it would be Emma," Lance left his shirt unbuttoned in favor of taking his daughter from his sister.

"Ouch. You could have at least thought about it," Rachel frowned. "Thanks a lot Bro."

Lance laughed, rolling his eyes at her. "Your Aunt Rachel is funny," he said to Emma. "Of course you're the most beautiful girl here. No competition."

"Now you're just being down right mean," Rachel's lips twitched as Emma squealed and coo'd at her father's words; the smile wide on her face revealing two white teeth on her lower gum.

"What was that?" Lance leaned closer to Emma. He pretended to eat her fingers when she put her hand on his face. Her laughter brought out his. "Be nice to Aunt Rachel," he nodded thoughtfully. "She's babysitting," he winked at his sister then kissed his daughter's forehead.

"You're an idiot," Rachel laughed. "No! Don't sit her down," she quickly plucked her niece from the floor. "She'll get all dirty."

"She's six months old Rachel. It's bound to happen."

"I know, but she can at least wait until after pictures." Rachel had been teasing about the most beautiful girl. It was Emma hands down with her soft brown curls and bright yellow-green eyes. She was dressed in a tiny satin sage green dress with a decorative sash with a flower in the front tied around Emma's waist. The look was complete with a matching headband and the tiniest earrings Rachel had seen. "I'm glad I don't have to compete with this beauty today."

"Someone's fishing for compliments," Lance told Emma, who laughed and kicked her white stocking clad legs. Silver sandals adorned his daughter's feet. "Emma says stop fishing for compliments you know you're beautiful."

"Us women have to look our best," Rachel said looking down at Emma, her eyes twinkling. She loved this little girl so much! "Your Daddies have some very nice looking friends; very nice looking friends. Your Aunt Stacy and I are thinking about taking photos and making a calendar. We'd be millionaires." Emma gurgled in agreement. Well, at least Rachel took that in agreement.

Lance rolled his eyes and went back to getting ready, listening to his sister talk to his daughter. In the mirror he caught sight of Nick and his mother in the doorway; amused looks on their face. He smiled as they seemed intent on listening to Rachel.

"The only problem we found though," Rachel told Emma very seriously. "Was how in the world could we switch months? It would be so sad to see one of them go, even though the guy in the new mouth would be just as gorgeous," she broke off when Emma gurgled again. "Now why didn't I think off that? What a great idea! We'll just make Uncle Nick every month!" She turned her head to the door and grinned.

"You wouldn't sell very many calendars," Nick grinned letting his mother-in-law enter before him. He took Emma from his wife smiling at his niece who looked up at him with wide eyes before breaking out into a grin. "Can't turn our backs for one minute and you're scheming with Rachel. You are a bad influence."

"Don't blame her, Daddy was conspiring at our wedding about the calendar idea," Rachel smiling, watching Nick hold Emma. "I can just imagine what he thinks about all the good looking men here."

"I know what I'm thinking," Stacy said as she walked into the bedroom carrying Noah. When Noah caught sight of his father, he kicked his legs excitedly and flailed his arms, letting out a shriek.

"Forget Nick, we'll just fill every page with this cutie," Rachel tickled the indent of Noah's collar bones. Noah shrugged his shoulders up and giggled loudly, displaying his own bottom two teeth. The giggles reminded her of JC.

"Out of all the men here, he definitely is the cutest."

"I'm offended," Nick said, his voice muffled by Emma trying to put her fingers in his mouth. "Beat out by a baby."

"Forget it man," Lance turned from the mirror, facing his family. "Babies always win with women." His eyes narrowed when he saw a look pass between Rachel and Nick. "What?"

"What what?" Rachel averted her eyes trying to keep the smile off her lips.

"You're hiding something," Lance said staring at his sister. His mom and Stacy turned to look at Rachel and Nick who were careful not to meet anyone's gaze. "Spill it."

"Isn't there a wedding supposed to be going on today?"

"That's what I was wondering," JC spoke as he entered the bedroom, carrying Olivia who was dressed in a bigger version of the same dress Emma wore.

"It's a meeting of the minds," James said. He searched the room and his eyes lit up spying Emma in Nick's arms. He stalked toward his son-in-law and effectively removed his granddaughter from his arms.

"Nick and Rachel are keeping a secret," Lance told his father.

"Daddy!" Olivia shouted and ran to her father when JC sat her down. "Pretty?" She skidded to a stop in front of Nick and twirled around making her dress lift.

"Gorgeous. The most beautiful girl here," Nick swung his daughter up in his arms amidst the protests from the women in the room, not to mention JC and Lance who were sticking up for Emma.

"I think one thing we can agree on," James spoke, quieting everyone. "Is the Bass gene produces pretty, beautiful, gorgeous -and handsome - offspring."

"True," Nick grinned snagging his wife by the waist, holding her to his side kissing the side of her head.

"Well, I can't go against that," JC said moving to stand next to Lance. He brushed his shoulder up against Lance's winking at him when their eyes met. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his black slacks.

"You better acknowledge Noah, JC before he gets upset," Stacy spoke looking at her nephew. "He hasn't taken his eyes off you since you walked in."

JC looked at his son, grinning when he saw the blue eyes staring at him. When Noah saw he had his father's attention, he kicked his legs and started babbling. His heart melted and he crossed to Stacy, taking his son into his arms.

"Are we having a wedding today or are we just going to sit around and gab?"

"Nuh-uh," Lance shook his head tearing his gaze away from JC and their son. "Spill. What are you hiding?"

Rachel looked at Nick. Lance was never going to give up. When Nick smiled at her and nodded his head, she sighed and looked at her family. She smiled. After all it was happy news. "I didn't want to do this today because it's not my day..."

"Oh my God, you're pregnant," Stacy gasped.

Rachel watched as everyone looked at Stacy, then at her. "Thanks Stace for stealing my thunder."

"You're pregnant?" Diane echoed walking to her daughter.

"Yes," Rachel accepted her mother's hug, holding her tightly.

"And they're mine this time!" Nick grinned as everyone started hugging him and Rachel, showering them with congratulations.

"Wait..." Lance spoke after the congratulations died down and before anyone could ask the pregnancy questions. "Did you say 'they'?"

"Yeah," Nick grinned. He hadn't meant to spill that particular bag of beans yet. In the excitement it just slipped out. That sent everyone talking and hugging again. Questions came rapidly.

"So I was just wondering," Ford stated, leaning against the door jam with his hands shoved in the black trousers. "Is there going to be a wedding today or not because we're all kind of wondering?"

*~*

Rachel stood at the end of the makeshift aisle. Lance's and JC's backyard had been transformed with tables and chairs. The decorations were simple yet beautiful. It wasn't a splashy over the top wedding. That wasn't JC or Lance's style. Like her wedding to Nick, they each only had one attendant: her and Nick.

"Ahhhh da da da da," Noah babbled from her arms, drool rolling down his chin.

'Well, two attendants,' Rachel smiled as she wiped Noah's chin with the cloth she had ready for that exact purpose.

"Da da da da da," Emma chanted, echoing her brother's.

Quiet laughter came from the crowd as well as JC and Lance. Even the minister smiled. Rachel looked passed her brother and JC where Nick stood next to JC, holding Emma in his arms. Her little body facing outward so she could see what was going on. She kicked her legs and blew raspberries.

Not to be out done, Noah let out an excited shriek and the ceremony paused while the two siblings 'talked' back and forth.

"You think they are objecting?" Lance said smiling at his son, who squealed louder seeing his daddy look at him.

"Hey you," JC leaned down so he was face to face with his daughter. His heart filled with love when Emma smiled and then promptly blew raspberries. He wasn't the only one who laughed and could wait to see the pictures. He wiped her chin with his finger and then wiped it on his pants without thinking. It was such a dad thing to do. "I would kind of like to marry your Daddy right now."

Emma babbled her answer, kicking her legs causing Nick to hold her a little tighter for fear she'd squirm right out of his hands.

"I'll take that as a yes," JC pressed his lips to Emma's forehead. He moved back to stand in front of the minister next to Lance. "Your daughter."

"Yup," Lance grinned, taking JC's hand as the minister continued. His eyes watered when it came time to slip the ring on JC's finger. When the ring was resting past JC's last knuckle he looked up seeing the tears in JC's eyes. He squeezed JC's hand.

A tremor went through JC's hand as he held Lance's ring with his finger tips, poised to slide it on Lance's finger. He felt Lance's fingers slightly squeeze his hand and he looked up into the yellow-green gaze of his lover. His hand steadied and holding Lance's gaze he slid his finger onto Lance's finger. When the ring was in place, he gripped both of Lance's hands in his

Lance wasted no time when the minister said they could kiss. He dropped JC's hands cupping JC's face with both hands and pressed his lips to JC's. Lips moved against one another as tears mixed in with their kiss. Applause rang out as they broke the kiss and held each other in a tight emotional hug.

Their road was a long one, starting in a European hotel room where two young boys who had no idea what they were doing fell in love. They withstood having to hide their relationship, the fake girlfriends and super stardom only to allow fears tear them apart.

Their paths separated but were not meant to run parallel with each other. The separate courses of lives they were living, but not living. They needed each other. Their lives were intertwined. Their souls needed each other to survive. JC needed Lance and Lance needed JC.

When they broke apart, Rachel gave Lance a short hug, knowing she could hug the stuffing out of him later and placed Noah in his arms, wiping a tear away from Lance's cheek. While she was handing off Noah, Nick handed off Emma to JC before they stood off to the side together.

Once the children were settled, JC and Lance faced the crowd, looking out over their friends and family gathered to celebrate a day that was a long time coming.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the minister smiled. "I present to you JC and Lance Bass-Chasez."

Applause and whistles rang out as everyone stood. JC and Lance grinned as they shifted their children in their arms so they could wrap an arm around each other's waists. They turned their heads to look at one another; their eyes full of unshed tears and sparkling with love. As Emma and Noah squealed and babbled in delight, their little arms and legs moving swiftly, enjoying the excitement, their lips met above their children's heads.

Now life was fully complete.